NEW INFORMATION: Budget committee to hold on to WEDC surplus

By AP&nbsp|&nbsp

Posted: Wed 9:36 AM, Jan 08, 2014&nbsp|&nbsp

Updated: Wed 11:47 AM, Jan 08, 2014

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The Legislature's budget committee plans to release about $60 million in funding to Wisconsin's chief jobs agency it had held in reserve on the condition that problems cited in an audit were addressed.

Republican co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee said Wednesday they would approve giving the money to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. as it requested. The money is for the budget year that begins in July.

WEDC also generated about a $35 million surplus. Budget committee co-chair Sen. Alberta Darling says that money will be held back for potential use later on tax cuts or other economic development initiatives.

Rep. John Nygren says he thinks WEDC is headed in the right direction after a rocky beginning and audits that showed numerous problems with mismanagement in the agency.---------------------------------MADISON, Wis. (AP) --The Legislature's budget committee is considering what to do with a $35 million surplus generated by the state jobs agency.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is asking permission to spend $18.4 million, but the move is sure to generate opposition from Democrats who have been critical of the agency since its creation in 2011.

The Joint Finance Committee was taking up the issue Wednesday.

The committee has $63 million set aside in the budget it can release to WEDC. The agency is only asking for $44.7 million of that, with another $18.4 million coming from reserves it has built up.

Last week WEDC unveiled a new advertising campaign that targets businesses in Minnesota and Illinois.

The comment sections of our web set are designed for thoughtful, intelligent conversation and debate. We want to hear from the viewers but we are not obligated to post comments we feel inappropriate or violate our guidelines. Here are some of the criteria you should follow when posting comments:

Comments cannot be profane or vulgar. Children and families visit this site. We will delete comments that use profanity or cross the lines of good taste.

We will delete all comments using hate speech. Slurs, stereotypes and violent talk aren’t welcome on our web site.

Comments should not attack other readers personally.

We will delete comments we deem offensive, in bad taste, or out of bounds. We are not obligated to post comments that are rude or insensitive.

We do not edit user-submitted comments.

As a host WEAU 13 News welcomes a wide spectrum of opinions. However, we have a responsibility to all our readers to try to keep our comment section fair and decent. For that reason WEAU 13 News reserves the right to not post or to remove any comment.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.